Radio and CBC/Radio Canada
The Second World War occurred at the same time as immense popularity in radio broadcasting. Listening to the radio gained popularity during the 1920s and remained a major national pastime into the 1940s. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC/Radio-Canada) was established in 1936. Canadians listened to the radio for entertainment, and increasingly as the war progressed, for news and information on the conflict.
Prior to the outbreak of war, Canadians could consume drama and comedy shows, many of which were produced in the United States. CBC was also producing and airing more national programming, including hockey broadcasts. In the early days though, aside from French programming, public radio in Canada did not have a large following.
Radio broadcasting changed during the war years as Canadians wanted information about the conflict. Entertaining programming was still being broadcast, but news programming was needed. To keep Canadians informed on the goings on of the war, both at home and abroad, the CBC created a special news department. Prior to 1941, the CBC depended on the Canadian Press for their news bulletins; however, in 1941 a separate news agency at the CBC was created. The national newscast was first read by Charles Jennings, and later Lorne Greene. In his position as national anchor, Greene earned the nickname “the voice of Canada”. Greene had a deep baritone, and as the news he reported became more serious and sad, he was nicknamed “the voice of doom”. Along with news coverage, the CBC also produced other war related programming. One such show, called “Soldier’s Wife”, was sponsored by the Wartime Prices and Trade Board (check out our last blog post for more information on the WPTB!).
THIS WAS THE CBC LOGO FROM 1940-1958. IMAGE FROM WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
As the war ended, radio entered its golden age of popularity. It would not last though, because soon television came on the scene. Nevertheless, radio remains a fairly popular medium today; audio programming is gaining popularity once again, this time in the form of podcasts.
A major part of the Second World War on the Home Front was communication between the government and Canadians at home. The Canadian government was producing propaganda and other types of public messaging throughout the war to keep Canadians informed at home and abroad. This blog series will look at different types of propaganda and public messaging, mediums of communication, and home front organizations.